South West Illinois News

Columbia, Illinois City Council Committee of the Whole is considering making changes to the upcoming 2016 Songs 4 Soldiers event to be held Sept. 10.

As discussed during a recent meeting, the Special Event permit application has been submitted to Community Relations and Tourism Coordinator Sue Spargo. City Administrator James Morani said that the application had not been distributed to the committee since it is going to the department heads for review.

Spargo had a meeting with Morani, President of Songs 4 Soldiers Dustin Row, Alderman Mary Niemietz and Mayor Kevin Hutchinson to discuss the event and some concerns. Row said that moving the heavy equipment on soft ground created ruts that needed to be repaired. He noted that the Department of Public Works repaires ruts wherever their large trucks added mulch around the trees and left ruts.

In the meeting, Director of Community and Economic Development Paul Ellis distributed the Preliminary Schedule for Adopting TIF Redevelopment Plan and Project for the Main Street Abbey Redevelopment Project Area. The report was from Michael Weber, Director of PGAV Planners. Ellis also informed the committee that Hutchinson and the developer, Gregg Crawford, had a successful meeting with the Main Street merchants. A public hearing on the plan has been tentatively scheduled for April 4.